Draw The Circle
by Doll-Fin-Chick
Summary: Three things see no end; a flower blighted ere it bloom, a message that was wasted, and a journey that was doomed. Follow two women lost in time and trying to find a way back. What destiny has brought them thus to Middle Earth? NOT a Tenth Walker fic
1. Of All The Luck!

**A/N:** I don't know what to say really. I love 'oc gets dropped in to Middle Earth' fics I wanted to write one, but of course every author strives to be different. I'm sick of all the awful slash fics, the 'my friends and me' fics, and all of the mary sues running around Middle Earth jumping in to bed with everyone they meet. (Even if those stories are enjoyable sometimes) I just wanted to read something new. So since I couldn't find anything, I wrote one instead.

Shout out to boz4PM and her oc Penny, without that story, I would never have been inspired to this, though it can't hope to compare.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of Tolkien's works. This work of fiction is written solely for pleasure and I get no monetary gain from writing this.

**Warnings:** Some strong language and violence.

* * *

Chapter One: Of all the Luck!

Nissa woke, cold. Which was an unusual circumstance in and of itself. She'd gone to sleep in a hoodie to keep warm. Eyes flickering open, she winced at the cold morning light that seemed to burn her eyes. Christina must have opened the blinds and thrown the windows open again…and on a weekend too! The bitch.

She opened her eyes fully then, and bolted up in shock. It took a moment for her to fully grasp exactly what she was seeing. It wasn't every day you woke up under a tree in the middle of a field with no clue as to how you got there.

Immediately she pinched himself, and judged from the way her skin was smarting in response that this was not in fact a really bad dream. The rough feeling of bark beneath her hand only further drove this realization home as she pulled herself to her feet.

Someone was going to pay, she thought angrily. It was one thing to play pranks on each other, but this time her dorm mates had gone too far. How the hell had they not woken her up when they got her out here? Where was here? How was she going to explain this to her parents? Mike was going to be so pissed. They were supposed to go out for breakfast today.

She didn't hear the highway she knew was by the college's gardens. In fact she couldn't hear any sound of people at all. Looking around she just saw rolling hills covered in long grass and some more trees in the distance. She shivered as a breeze swept her hair in front of her eyes and sent goose bumps across her arms. Her tee shirt and pajama bottoms were not warm enough, even with the hoodie she wore. Her body was stiff from lying for who knows how long on the ground.

Her heart thumped painfully as her breathing quickened. Fuck. She had no money, no shoes…her phone! She'd put it in pants last night after texting Mike about breakfast. She quickly dug it out of her pocket, a feeling of relief in her as her hand closed around the plastic casing. Then her stomach plummeted as she realized he had no bars. Fuck her life.

Vainly, she waved the phone around and tried to get a signal. There was nothing, not even one bar showing up on the screen. She frowned and tried to dial 911 anyway, but of course it didn't work.

Realizing she had a text she opened it up and nearly groaned when she realized Mike had cancelled breakfast with her. So nobody would know she was gone for at least two or three days. Her roommate usually crashed at her boyfriend's apartment on the weekends and even if she didn't, she and Christina didn't get along that well.

Nissa took a deep breath while pocketing her phone. "Okay. Time to take stock. I'm lost," she muttered to herself, "but I'm not helpless. I have my phone, I just have to keep walking until I get bars…or find people." She nodded to herself. She could do this, no big deal. She'd beat the shit out of whoever did this when she got back, and then sue them within an inch of bankruptcy. Her dad wasn't a lawyer for nothing after all.

Looking at the hills in the distance she made a decision to go to them. You could sometimes get better reception higher up, or so she'd heard. She moved briskly, hoping to keep as warm as she could. It had gotten pretty chilly.

Nissa stumbled through the thick grass, stubbing her toes occasionally until she managed to step on a rock. Cursing loudly and inwardly promising whoever was responsible ten fold the pain she was experiencing, she stopped to take a look at her feet.

The sight of her bruised and cut up feet was not pretty, and she knew she was just going to hurt herself more if she didn't figure something out. Nissa didn't know how much a layer of cloth would actually help. Would it be worth it to tear up her pajama pants to keep her toes from freezing off?

Grimacing she grabbed one of the pointier rocks she had stepped on. It was no knife, but it would have to do. She tore up the seam of one leg and then sawed throught the fabric sideways to cut it away from the main piece. The result looked a lot like capris and left her with a decent bandage sized length of ragged cloth. She wrapped them as best she could around her tender feet. It didn't cover much, but it was better than nothing. She checked her phone again, noting not much time had passed and that she still had no bars.

It took her quite a bit longer to reach the top of the hill than she thought. Recalling a road trip in Montana she swore again as she realized that distance and perspective got screwed up when you were walking and that what looked to be a relatively short distance was a lot longer when you had a hill or something tall to look at. The mountains in the distance were hazy, but seemed to be no closer than when she'd started out.

Once there she once again pulled out her phone, and was not terribly surprised when she saw that she still had no reception. Noting the battery getting lower, she switched it off. Nissa was half tempted to throw it away, but put it back in to her pocket instead.

For the first time in a long time, Nissa felt like crying. A suspicious wetness was gathering at her eyes and she angrily scrubbed it away and tried to think logically. She squinted all around her, more disheartened by what she saw. There wasn't a road or building in sight. She tried to shout for help, but immediately felt very stupid. There was obviously no one near.

Sitting down and shivering in the breeze again she tried to think. She'd seen a couple of those survival shows, hadn't she? What was her first priority now? Shelter? Water? She wasn't sure what to do, her stomach was beginning to gnaw at itself and her mouth was certainly dry, but she was also getting really chilled…her sweatshirt was still damp from when she'd been lying on the ground and the cruel wind seemed to take especial glee in freezing her.

Those trees off in the distance sounded like a good prospect. They lay nearly at the foot of the mountains. She scanned the horizon once more though, in case she'd missed a road. Not seeing anything, she began walking again.

When she finally reached the trees she was so grateful that she nearly wept. Nissa was exhausted, it wasn't as if she was fat, but she had never really exerted herself either. She was an environmental science major, not an athlete. The chill and her inadequate clothes really took it out of her though. She just hoped she wasn't going to get sick.

Nissa stumbled through the tangle of plants until she reached a tree with a clear space to sit by its trunk where she sunk to the ground and tiredly closed her eyes. Ow. Her aches had aches, she thought with grim amusement. Pulling out her phone again, she checked the time and the bars. Noting how late it was getting in the day and that she wasn't going to be calling anyone anytime soon.

She needed somewhere to stay for the night. It was already past noon, and it didn't look like she was going to be saved. She angrily ripped out a tuft of grass by her hand and moodily shredded it while she thought.

She needed shelter, or she was going to freeze. At the very least she also needed to find water, soon. Food she knew it was possible to go without, at least for a while. Water however was essential, and she would quickly perish without it. The cold though was her biggest concern; she still had a day to find water before serious dehydration set it, or so she thought. Frustration swept through her and she let it wash away the cobwebs left by exhaustion and fear. She couldn't afford to panic. She had to get back for her family, and for Mike.

With that though she got to her feet and set off to find a proper place to sleep. Anger fueled her, and she went over in her head exactly what she was going to do to the punk who planned this.

Hours later she had managed to set up a temporary shelter of sorts. She had been unable to find enough wood in decent shape and the right size to make some sort of lean-to. However she felt she had a stroke of luck when she found a recently downed pine tree. It wasn't rotting, as was the case with most of the material she'd found, and it had large branches, a few of which she managed to break off and thread through each other until she'd formed a sort of half sphere of branches up against the trunk. Beneath it she cleared the ground away, though she stripped as many pine needles as she could to make a bed. In front of it she piled up the sticks she had found to make a sort of wall.

It wasn't going to be rain proof, but it cut the wind quite a bit and was almost warm. Nissa supplemented her bed with dry leaves and grass she pulled from the ground. By the time she'd done all of this, the sky was already beginning to darken and she was more than ready to crash for the night.

Climbing in to her makeshift shelter, she settled in to the spicy but pleasant smelling leaves and found that she actually became warmer rather quickly. Her muscles, which had been abused so badly that day, slowly unclenched as the warmth and exhaustion caught up with her and she drifted to sleep.

* * *

Nissa woke to a disorienting darkness and the feeling of her skin itching and burning. Immediately panicking and not thinking clearly she knew she had to get out of her shelter. She thrashed to her feet, smacking her head on the tree trunk she'd been sleeping against and then falling heavily over the trunk.

A blinding pain erupted in her arm and she cried out loudly as she grabbed her torn flesh. She batted away branches, feeling as if they were clawing her in her attempt to escape. Her head spun and she tried desperately to right herself, managing her feet dizzily in the darkness and nearly tripping again before finally falling sharply to her knees.

The pain in her arm and head were horrible but the itching and burning worried her more. She couldn't see anything, and cursed loudly, tears making their way down her face. Even if she could see, she had no idea if there was water nearby. No way to tend to her injuries.

She could feel the blood running down her arm and through her fingers. She scrabbled out of her sweatshirt shirt and tried to tie it around her arm one handed with the hope it would stop the bleeding. Using her teeth, she jerked the fabric tightly with a quick tug of her head that made it whirl. Her empty stomach protested the movement though and she began to retch.

With acid burning in her mouth on top of everything else she gave in to the despair she'd felt creeping up on her all day. Now miserable and shaking, she collapsed to the ground and closed her eyes. A cold certainty filtered up in her. She was going to die. Out here and alone, probably eaten by wild animals and nobody would ever find her.

With that thought though came another; this was a really lame way to die. A burble of hysterical laughter made it past her lips but with it came the feeling that she had to keep going. Sobering up, she struggled to her feet again, now wincing as the cuts from earlier made themselves known. The burning feeling in her skin worsened with every movement. Clamping one hand over her wounded arm she managed to get upright.

Well she wasn't dead yet. Panting she took a step, faltering as her head swum again. She had hit it pretty hard. She wondered if she had a concussion. Gritting her teeth so hard they ached she took another step. She needed to find water, she thought desperately. She strained her ears as she walked around dark trees, occasionally leaning against one.

She felt a faint hope when she did hear something, though it was not quite what she thought water sounded like. A sort of soft crackling had reached her ears. She cocked her head and tried to figure out the direction it was coming from, then making a decision, she stumbled after it.

* * *

Teldacil woke as soon as he heard the snap of a twig. Drawing his sword silently he rolled from his bedroll and got to his feet edging away from what little light the remains of his fire gave off.

These were dangerous times, and he was well aware that whatever was out there might be less than friendly. He focused on the sounds, listening as he heard a pained cry and the rustle as someone stumbled almost in to his campsite. That was no orcish voice he thought, relaxing his grip somewhat on his weapon. Nevertheless he readied himself as he called out to the stranger in obvious pain.

There was real relief in the voice, but the words were not familiar to him. His eyes narrowed as the figure almost stumbled in to his fire. Guardedly he approached, but the figure merely slumped to the ground and in the flickering light he realized it was a young woman who had stumbled in to his company. He had almost mistook her for a man with her short hair, however her features were plainly feminine. She had no cloak nor shoes. In fact, she was dressed very strangely, and she was in obvious pain.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see another person. Do you have a cell that works? I need help." Nissa gestured to her arm. Teldacil's eyes widened and he quickly slid his sword away and went to kneel by the woman, reaching for her wounded arm.

"Oh wow, you have a sword. You from the SCA or one of those groups or something?" Nissa grimaced as the man pulled her sweatshirt away from her arm and hissed then said something she didn't understand. Her head was swimming unpleasantly and everything was sort of foggy.

"Hey you don't speak English? Um…shit." She couldn't think of any language except Spanish to try, so she did, spouting a few words she had picked up and sighed when the man tried to speak back in an entirely different and unrecognizable language.

Shrugging it off Teldacil decided this mystery would have to wait; this woman was hurt pretty badly. He got to work, striding over to a horse previously unnoticed by Nissa and grabbing some things from it. At that point Nissa's head was really pounding and she faded in and out of awareness as Teldacil worked over her, muttering to himself and cursing his luck that a wounded stranger would fall practically in his lap.

Teldacil quickly boiled some water and used some of the medicine Thaliâwen had given him before he left to make a tea for the hurt stranger. Almost all of his healing supplies were going to be used for this woman.

He cleaned the wound and bandaged it, she was lucky it was not deeper and it seemed relatively fresh. However there were more pressing things. As he had gotten the fire going he'd seen the rash spreading across the stranger's skin and recognized it immediately. On top of the rash he highly suspected the young woman had a concussion by the way her eyes wouldn't focus and the blurred nature of her irrational words. He decided a more thorough look was warranted and quickly scanned her body for more injuries.

The foolish girl had gone and somehow gotten a poisonous plant all over her skin as well as bashed her head, cut up her feet, and if that wasn't enough, had gone and gotten seriously cut as well! Luckily for her, none of it was fatal, just highly painful and uncomfortable.

"You're going to be in pain for quite some time, my friend." Teldacil muttered under his breath, watching as the woman's eyes fluttered open and shut as the tea he'd given her started to take effect. He got a clean cloth and wiped off her skin where a rash had sprung up, and then sighing he finished bandaging her and settled her down in front of the fire.

Nissa felt herself drifting off and struggled with holding on to reality, knowing this man had saved her. "Thank you." She whispered, trying to stay awake. Teldacil understood the sentiment, if not the words and nodded his head, before settling down against his horse's flank and wrapping his cloak about him. He still did not know anything about this woman, other than that she was badly hurt. So he resigned himself to keeping watch and a sleepless night.

* * *

Nissa woke in a good deal of pain. Not so much that it sent her in to a panic like the night before but still a good deal of it. Her skin felt tight, itchy, and uncomfortable. She had a headache and her arm throbbed horribly. She was also all stiff from once again sleeping on the ground.

Trying not to groan, she sat up gingerly, clutching her head. A soft sound made her look up. A horse was not three feet away and eyeing her with big brown eyes. She smiled at the animal and got to her feet, swaying a bit and wincing in pain. Looking around, she didn't see any sign of her host.

She poked at the bandage on her arm and winced. Too afraid to look more closely than that, Nissa cast her gaze around the campsite. It was then that she noticed a pair of slipper like leather shoes laid out near where she had been sleeping. She pulled them on, noting they were a bit big on her.

There was the remains of a fire close by, and a saddle and a few bags leaned up against a tree. Nissa moved to the fire and held her hands over it, grimacing at the red color to her skin. The warmth was helping though and she sighed.

Whatever that guy had done to her last night had really helped and she was very grateful. Even if he had used suspicious medicine and real cloth bandages. The guy must be a real hardcore reenactment type. Her father had a few friends that were. She'd tried it for a bit, but hadn't really had time to get in to it.

Suddenly remembering, she pulled out her phone, which was somehow still intact in her pocket, and turned it on. She waited patiently while the start up music played.

Suddenly she heard a loud intake of breath behind her and saw the man from last night stopped dead in his tracks, eyeing her phone with a very strange expression on his face.

Nissa frowned and waved it at him, "Just trying to see if I can get reception out here." The man flinched as Nissa waved it in the air and gave her phone a suspicious look. Nissa sighed and turned away from him.

She knew there were some places where people lived the old ways, maybe she got stuck in one of them? Whatever the guy was totally weird. She tried to ask if he had a cell, making hand signs for a phone, but the man looked completely baffled.

Teldacil had no idea what the woman had in her hand, and half feared it to be some kind of weapon. The noise it had made was truly unreal. He watched it carefully, trying to divine its use as the stranger frowned down at it, occasionally tapping it and muttering angrily. He only relaxed when it was put away again.

He tried to once again try conversation on the off chance the woman had been too affected by her concussion to speak clearly. However he was disappointed when Westron, Sindarin and the few words he knew in Rohirric elicited no response. Shrugging he told the stranger his name was Teldacil and tapped his chest, waiting patiently for the other to repeat him and then gestured at her.

Nissa introduced herself, amused at Teldacil's name. Damn he sure went for authenticity! But then, Teldacil could be his real name. Nissa had a co-worker named Galadriel and knew her sister's name was Arwen. Poor girls. Then she got a sudden whiff of Teldacil as he moved by her and started to pack up his things. Nutter didn't wash properly either. Nissa knew she couldn't have smelled very clean, but still…it was one thing to reenact, and quite another to forget basic hygiene.

Despite the off vibes she was getting, Nissa tried to thank Teldacil, who seemed to understand the gist, if not the words she used. Then Nissa helped him clean up as best she could, scraping dirt over what was left of the fire and scattering the ashes.

Teldacil watched the young woman out of the corner of his eye as they cleared the camp site. He wasn't sure why Nissa didn't know Westron, but he supposed the stranger might have been some poor unfortunate not-quite-sane woman escaped from her family. However, now that she was awake, if still in pain, it seemed as if she was sane enough.

Another thing that puzzled him is how she got so far on her own away from any towns without falling in to greater mishap. She seemed to possess no belongings either, another riddle to puzzle upon.

It would have to wait. In the meantime, he needed to report in to Imladris within the week. He had been on his way there on his circuit when he'd ran into Nissa. Now he was wondering about that device and about her lack of Westron, was it something he should bring to Halbarad's attention? Should he bring Nissa with him? It seemed to be the best course of action.

Nissa was a little surprised Teldacil wanted her to ride on the horse with him, but then she supposed she shouldn't think it strange. Hopefully this guy could take her quickly to a town with a phone so she could call her family and get help.

Teldacil had to give her a foot up before pulling himself up and setting off briskly. They'd reach Imladris in another two days or so. Hopefully someone there would know what to do with the woman he'd found. So he would be well washed of the strange young woman named Nissa. Something about her seemed, off. Though he could not quite put his finger on what it was.

At least this would be an amusing story for his Thaliâwen.

* * *

A/N: I hope you all have enjoyed my work so far, please drop me a review and tell me what you think. A side note of interest:

-I truly do have a coworker named Galadriel who has a younger sister named Arwen and a brother named Elladan. I decided to put it in here for laughs.


	2. My Lady's Eyes

**A/N: **Ah welcome back to my humble tale! Thanks to everyone who has swung by to check it out (though I do wish you'd review, criticism, a word, whatever, it's all appreciated.) ^^ And now I get to introduce the other central character to our tale :) I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of Tolkien's works. This work of fiction is written solely for pleasure and I get no monetary gain from writing this.

**Warnings:** Some strong language and violence.

* * *

Chapter Two: My Lady's Eyes

"…but nothing can match my lady's eyes!" Erin finished her song with a flourish and grinned at her small audience who were all applauding and laughing. 'My Lady's Eyes' was always popular, if only for its' entertainment value. It was fairly easily sung and played, but Erin knew she delivered it the best.

She patted her harp fondly as the next in her group started to play the next tune. Her fingers felt like they were about to drop off, she'd been playing for hours. First she had played the flute, then her guitar, and then finally her harp. She hadn't touched her fiddle, though she had brought it.

The campfire lit the gathered people's faces up in the night with a flickering yellow warmth. A ways from the bonfire a collection of tents sprawled in every direction. Her tent was closer to the edge of the group and furthest away from the center, and consequently the noise. She liked being in the thick of things, but sleeping where everyone was staying up late getting drunk held no appeal to her.

Erin got up and stretched, then carefully put away her instruments. A few people bid her goodnight on her way out of the circle of light, and one tipsy guy threw a proposition her way that she laughed off, though most were listening to the singer's voice lifting in the night.

Walking away it got harder to see and she cursed herself for not having brought a lamp. Of course, her arms were already full with her instruments, so it would have been a pain dragging a lamp along as well but she could have really used the light. She nearly fell twice across tent stakes as it was before she reached her tent.

It was a small one person tent made from heavy canvas. Inside she had a collapsible wooden cot. A small wooden cart stood outside, which she used to carry the tent and her belongings out to the site. It was small enough and light enough for her to pull it herself, though it was possible to hitch it up to a pony as well. It even had the ropes and attachments to do so, for appearance's sake.

Erin deposited her things in the cart, knowing they'd be safe. The weather was fine and she wasn't afraid of theft. All of her instruments were marked with a special design that identified them as hers, only an idiot would steal them.

Settling inside, she grunted as she removed her boots and sighed when she loosened her corset and slipped it off. Tomorrow she would go with a tunic and breeches, she decided. She slipped in to more modern pajamas. She knew some slept in character, but she'd rather sleep in something she could run about it if she had to.

Settling on to the cot she snuggled in to the warmth of her bedding, the tune of My Lady's Eyes floating in her mind.

* * *

Nissa decided, that while horses seemed pretty awesome, they most definitely were not awesome over extended periods of time. The odd side to side gait had her back aching within fifteen minutes. Not to mention, that Teldacil (if that really was his name) had placed her in front of him, and that meant his arms were about her. Awkward.

Plus horses smelled, she smelled, Teldacil smelled. She was hungry, and Teldacil didn't have much food beyond some hard cheese, some crackery bread that tasted of sawdust, and sour wine. She'd been very surprised at the wine, but figured a little alcohol wouldn't hurt her. In fact, she welcomed the soporific nature of the drink, even if it tasted pretty bad.

The monotonous nature of the horse's gait made her feel sleepy, along with the wine she'd imbibed earlier. She leaned back very slightly in to Teldacil, hoping he wouldn't have a problem with it, for it wasn't freezing, but it was certainly chilly, and he was warm.

A niggling voice in the back of her mind wanted to protest this, everything about her, and noted the nonexistent traces of civilization. No roads, no lights in the distance. Was she even in the country anymore? The only place she could think of that resembled where she was even slightly was Montana, and the Rockies….but even there she had seen signs of human habitation, telegraph poles still standing, the occasional abandoned car in the middle of a field.

The landscape rolled by at a slow pace, hills that were sparse in cover, interspersed with empty fields, mountains looming on the horizon, shady and dark. Where on earth was she? She felt another chill skate down her spine, and a tear spring to her cheek, which she viciously wiped away.

Teldacil was aware of his odd companion's melancholy and contemplative state. She often craned her neck to look at things in the distance, a puzzled look lining her face. Then she would settle down again and furrow her brow in deep thought; occasionally she'd stiffen in front of him, as if scared.

It was not an ideal state of things. They were alone in the wilds, and he knew of the sightings of goblins and other creatures that had plagued these areas in recent times. He would normally just be cautious, but he had someone to look out for now, and unlike his fellow rangers, she would not be of much help if it came to a fight.

However, it wasn't the thought of goblins that seemed to worry her. No, it was their surroundings, which seemed strange in and of itself. He was glad now for his gift of perception. He knew he read people well. Though with Nissa, he found himself questioning his own judgment. For what he perceived, did not make much sense.

He reminded himself to be patient, all things would be revealed in time. So his mentor had always said.

When the sun had reached a sufficient height in the sky he looked for a place to rest and water his horse for a time. Reaching a narrow stream, he halted, and swung out of the saddle. Reaching for Nissa, he lifted her out of the saddle, she was of a sturdy size though, and he huffed as he set her on her feet. The woman merely frowned at him and he fought the urge to snap at her. It would help nothing, and it wasn't like she understood either.

He then abandoned her to her own musings, and tended to his horse, first bringing him to the water and watching to see the animal did not over drink, then lifting each leg and checking the hooves for wear or stones wedged in tender areas. Another thing his mentor had taught him, your beast was worth far more than praises or pelt, since your life could depend on him. Therefore, better fed than you should he be, and proper care and tending always seen to before your own.

As he did so, the woman cautiously stepped up to the animal, who whuffed at her, bringing a smile to her lips, she patted the soft nose, remembering trips to farms when she'd been a child. This horse wasn't as big as a Clydesdale though, thank god. Those monsters were scary. She had always liked horses eyes, soft and intelligent. She scratched it, and was rewarded with a playful nudge. She instantly forgave him for her aching back.

Teldacil observed her, amused. Done checking the hooves, he went and rinsed his own hands in the water, then refilled his water-skin and went to check on his provisions. He'd had enough to eat very well until he reached Imladris, but now, for two, he was forced to ration it carefully.

Nissa followed his example, going to the stream; she knelt and dipped her hands in the cold water. She wished for soap, but Teldacil had none that was forthcoming. Then she glanced back at him, uncomfortably aware of the pressure in her bladder. Seeing he was busy, she retreated a distance heading for some rocks that were piled up enough to hide her. Teldacil glanced up at her, but realizing what she meant to do, he let her go, and portioned out some food for when she returned.

Meanwhile Nissa had turned around the rocks and was frowning with what needed to be done. She wished for once, that she was wearing a skirt; it would be much easier to pee in one. She quickly shimmied out of her jeans and panties and got it over with, crouching down. It wasn't the first time she had to do this, she'd been camping before…but it still sucked.

She washed her hands again in the water and gratefully accepted the food Teldacil doled out. She warily took the water from him, knowing it came from the stream. Wasn't there some bacteria in the water you weren't supposed to drink? But he seemed all right…she shrugged it off. Either she was going to die…or she wasn't. It wasn't like she had an alternative except to die from dehydration.

Teldacil noted her reluctance to drink and filed it away as another odd thing about her. Then he put away the water, grabbed his medicines, and sat down on a rock, motioning for Nissa to sit beside him. She did so, and he reached for her bandaged arm. She watched him, holding as still as she could as he unwrapped it, then prodded at the flesh. It didn't seem inflamed, for which Teldacil was thankful. The rash caused by her encounter with the Anacardia plant had mostly faded, due to his timely intervention with the proper medicinal wash. It was something he always carried, after having experienced it himself when he was a child.

He gently smeared some more salve on it, glad for the healing properties, and re-wrapped her arm. Nissa smiled at him gratefully, she'd barely noticed the pain except as a dull ache over the day. She didn't know what the paste he put on it was, but it seemed to work, and while not pleasant looking, she could see that her arm wasn't infected.

After that, they rested for a few more minutes, before Teldacil got them moving again.

* * *

By the time Teldacil stopped them for the night, Nissa was exhausted, and worried. Her phone (which she had turned on again away from Teldacil who really seemed unnerved by it) still had no bars. She felt the familiar tightening in her chest and wanted to indulge in a good cry, but didn't dare. For she knew if she started, she wouldn't be able to stop for a long while.

Instead, she refused food, only drank some wine Teldacil offered, and then curled up to sleep in the cloak he handed her. The ground was not rocky, thank god, and she was worn out from trying to puzzle out where she was, what had happened, so she fell asleep rather quickly.

Teldacil meanwhile finished his meal and watched Nissa as she curled up and fell asleep. Once again his instincts insisted that something wasn't right. He had heard that odd noise that signaled that she had been poking at that odd item she carried in her pocket. He was quite certain thought that she meant no harm.

He pulled out his pipe and quietly smoked, gazing in to the flickering warmth of the fire. It lulled him to a state of peace, and he stayed that way until the moon had risen, then he put away his pipe and sighed. Wrapping himself in the blanket from his bedroll, which Nissa had refused, insisting on using the cloak, he settled again with his back against a tree.

His eyes closed reluctantly, he always slept lightly when by himself, but he felt duty bound to be extra careful with Nissa about. He slipped in to the half-sleep he'd learned over many years to perfect, listening to the sounds of the earth about him.

Nissa woke before Teldacil the next morning, slightly surprised. She had never been a very early riser, but then, she never slept easily when there was light, and her face had turned towards the east when dawn broke. She got up and folded the cloak, shivering in the morning air. She tiptoed quietly about, taking care of business, and then returning to wash her hands, noting Teldacil had awakened in the time she'd taken to pee. She offered the cloak to him, and then took the blanket from his hands and folded it while he briefly visited the bush.

When he returned he quickly readied the horse, and Nissa went about clearing up the remains of the fire as she had done the day before. She felt better after a night of full rest. She decided not to check her phone again. It hadn't yielded any results yet, and it made her companion nervous anyway. She let her fingers close about it in her pocket, feeling the smooth casing and fingering the power outlet.

She had a dreadful feeling that she wasn't in modern times anymore, though she roughly shoved the thought away. It was too impossible. Instead, she smiled weakly at Teldacil as he handed her some food. It tasted like dust, but she choked it down as best she could. Then Teldacil lifted her back on the horse and they were away.

* * *

The next day passed in much the same manner, though the terrain changed, and the mountains in the distance grew a lot nearer. Neither spoke, though Nissa was unused to not talking for so long a time.

She let her mind wander, and hummed unconsciously beneath her breath. As she scanned her surroundings, feeling that certainty that with every step they took she was not home anymore. They'd traveled for a day now in pretty much one direction, and at night the sky was lit with millions of stars, unlike anything she'd seen before. She felt the emptiness of the world come crushing around her, and her humming petered out.

Teldacil frowned at the very strange tune she was humming, not recognizing it at first as music, but then realizing it had rhythm, she stopped after a time though, and he wondered what she was thinking. He was very tired, and struggled to stay awake. The weather was fair, he had a warm woman in front of him, and he was well used to sleeping occasionally in the saddle, though never alone. That was a danger he did not care to risk.

Only the thought of some mishap befalling them stopped him from nodding off, though he planned to actually sleep if he could next night. He knew of a fairly safe camp site about another day's journey away. Many Rangers had used it in the past, as he himself had. He looked forward to seeing it. In the mean time, he had little to think on but what he would report to Halbarad, and what to do with Nissa.

He longed for the journey to be over, but knew that he had a greater responsibility to the woman riding with him.

The day wore on, with only a few small breaks for rest as Teldacil pressed on. He felt with greater certainty than ever that he must get to Imladris to sort out the mystery Nissa presented.

* * *

Teldacil was thoroughly unhappy. Someone must have been laughing at him somewhere and wishing him ill. Last night had not been pleasant, as it had been chillier than normal and a fine misting rain had thouroughly dampened both their spirits as well as their blankets.

This was the third day with Nissa, and the infuriating woman acted more strangely at every turn. After traveling for most of miserable day in which it had rained off and on and worsened the headache he'd had since the morning, he had to go and stumble on this.

His head throbbed more unpleasantly than ever as he surveyed the tent in his favorite campsite. He was sure it was not one of his own kin who had taken up residence in the most convenient shelter he knew of for hours around. The Rangers of the North traveled far more lightly.

He was also exhausted after staying up all night , tossing and turning in light sleep troubled by the rain. He didn't want to find an alternative place to stay. He could only take a chance and hope whomever had come here was friendly.

Nissa shifted uncomfortably, but kept quiet. Teldacil had gotten annoyed at her attempts to make conversation earlier. A hand clapped over her mouth was sufficient enough to get her to shut up. She was miffed though.

Three days, three fucking days and not a town in sight, and her phone was on its last legs. It would soon die. It more worried her however that she hadn't had a single glimpse of a bar since she'd woken up here, wherever here was.

She had decided not to panic though, she couldn't see how it would help. It didn't stop her from crying at night, but thankfully Teldacil hadn't seemed to notice. A small mercy. At least he had been a perfect gentleman, if a bit weird sometimes. She'd tried to keep quiet, but she'd always been a talkative person. Having a language block did not help her mood.

The tent certainly encouraged her though. There was a cart standing outside of it and in it she spotted a guitar case with old eighties and nineties band stickers stuck all over it. She grinned at the familiar band logos. At last, someone who would probably have a cell!

Teldacil dismounted the horse and called out in his strange language. There was no answer at first, but then a woman's voice called, "Hold on, I'll be out in a minute!" They could hear the rustling of someone moving around and then the tent flap opened to reveal what seemed to be another reenactor. Nissa's growing smile faltered a bit, but then grew. At least the other woman spoke English!

The woman blinked sleepily and adjusted her hastily thrown on clothing, and pushed a shock of curly red hair from her eyes. Frowning, she realized something was off. The man in front of her would fit their group well enough though the woman on the horse was wearing mundane clothes. They shouldn't have a horse at the campsite either. Wasn't there a rule about that?

Then she realized that there was no campsite. She blinked stupidly, and turned in a circle. "Shit…" she breathed. How was it possible? Her mind grappled with the idea and she pinched her arm to see if she was dreaming. Nope, hurt too much.

Nissa took all this in and grimaced. Obviously something was wrong. Teldacil just looked confused and tried to question the woman, but she didn't seem to understand him any better than Nissa had.

"Um, hi?" Nissa called, and the other woman looked to her.

"Hey," she replied, gesturing vaguely around herself, "Know where we are?" Nissa shook her head, "Got about the same idea as you." Erin's eyes narrowed at that, and took in the woman's ruffled and travel stained appearance. Something was not quite as it seemed here.

Teldacil looked between them and frowned. Obviously Nissa was not insane if this other woman was replying in kind and understanding her. This only brought up more questions though. Just who were these two and where did they come from?

Nissa slid off the horse, leaving Teldacil to pat it reassuringly and look between the two women mystified. She approached the other woman and held out her hand, "I'm Nissa. You don't have any idea how glad I am to see you." Erin reached out and shook her hand firmly, "I'm Erin. I guess I'm not the only one who has had something strange happen to them recently." She replied now noticing the bandage around Nissa's arm. She forced down her own panic to deal with the people before her, "We'd better swap stories."

"Sure," Nissa replied, "But would you happen to have a cell phone with reception? I need to contact my family." Erin frowned, a cell phone? That was a strange thing to have. Only her father had one, for work, and it wasn't terribly reliable. Her mother swore it gave off radiation and would give them all cancer too. Why would Nissa think she had one? "Nope, sorry. Don't own one."

Nissa sighed disappointedly, she had hoped…but oh well. Erin ducked back in to her tent for a moment and pulled out two camping chairs.

"Only got the two, but my cart can serve as an extra seat." She said, hopping up to sit on it. She gestured for Teldacil to take a seat. The man had just finished hobbling his horse and removing the saddle. He seemed amused at the little folding chairs, but took one anyway. Nissa sat in the other and gestured to him, "This is Teldacil, he found me. Teldacil, this is Erin." He nodded to the other woman and repeated her name.

Necessities out of the way, Erin fiddled with the side of her guitar case and asked, "So what's your story? Mine is pretty unbelievable." Nissa sighed, "Mine is too. Last thing I knew was I had gone to sleep in my dorm room after texting my boyfriend about breakfast. Then I woke up alone, under a tree. My cell isn't working either so I can't call for help. I tried to find shelter, but I ended up getting poison ivy or something and injuring myself. Then three nights ago I stumbled on Teldacil. He doesn't speak English though." Nissa continued with her tale, watching Erin's discomfort and worry. When she ended, she paused a moment then asked, "Are we in some kinda reenacting park or something? You're dressed the way he is too." She blushed, hoping Erin wouldn't take it the wrong way.

Erin had listened to the whole story, and frowned at the tiny device Nissa had waved when she mentioned her cell phone. The man Teldacil had flinched at its appearance. She didn't know what texting was, and she began to clue in on other things about Nissa. Her clothes were cut a bit different than what she was used to, and the cell phone was not like anything she knew cell phones to be….in fact, it looked like a Star Trek communicator. She had a suspicion forming n her mind, but she wasn't sure if it was real or not.

"There isn't any place like that, at least that I know of." Erin replied after a moment where she felt her mind trying to regain its balance. "I was camping at an event with some other reenactors, that's true. I went to sleep late and apparently slept most of the day away." She looked at her wristwatch and frowned, twisting the dial to rewind it. "I just woke up…and my whole campsite is gone. Even though my things are all here. You two showed up and you tell me you just woke here too."

Nissa shifted forward, feeling a tightening in her chest and a rising feeling of warning, "What are you trying to say?" she asked around her suddenly dry mouth. She swallowed nervously. Her heart had leapt when she's seen the modern things…but then Erin had had the same strange thing happen to her ash had happen to herself. She felt almost nauseous at the implications. Just where the hell were they? What the fuck had happened?

Erin threw her hands up, "I don't know! It's just very strange, but…could you tell me what year it is?" Nissa blinked in confusion, "What does that matter?" she asked, bewildered. Then felt slightly dizzy, hers eyes widening in realization. It wasn't like she hadn't suspected the same things but…oh! Her stomach clenched unpleasantly.

Erin didn't say anything for a minute, but then answered in a very quiet voice, "I'm not sure…just…you mentioned texting and I don't know what that is. Your phone doesn't look like any cell phone I've seen. What you've told me…Well, it was 1995 when I went to sleep."

"1995!" Nissa gasped, "But, that's impossible! It's 2012!" She choked on the date and then looked at Teldacil, who'd been quiet up to then, watching the two women discuss something apparently quite serious. More than ever he felt he had to get Nissa to Imladris, and if possible, Erin. These times were too dangerous to let anything strange pass without further study.

Nissa had grown quite upset, shaking over what Erin had told her. The man wasn't sure what to do, he reached out and placed a hand over one of her own. She gripped it like she would perish without his support. He looked to the woman Erin, but she looked equally distraught. What was going on?

Erin's mind was reeling now too. 2012? That was over a decade in to the future! She watched numbly as the man Teldacil offered support to Nissa. When were they? If this man was their only clue to where and when they were….His clothes hinted at a time hundreds of years before theirs…but she didn't recognize the style as coming from any country she knew of, and he was certainly not from North America.

She also didn't recognize the language. She was certain she'd be able to identify medieval English. Her class on the Canterbury tales would ensure that if nothing else!

Shaking her head, she got up and knelt before Nissa, taking her hand. Now that she looked at her, she realized the woman couldn't be older than herself, and in fact she seemed quite young. Her eyes were a pretty shade of green, Erin noticed as she caught them with her own. "Hey, I don't know what has happened…where or when we are, but I promise to help us both find out, ok? We'll get home again. At least we're not alone." She smiled wanly and squeezed Nissa's hand reassuringly.

"Alright." Nissa choked out, tears sliding down her face. Erin felt her own cheeks grow wet as well and she stood up and hugged Nissa. They both needed a hug right then, if nothing else.

Teldacil released Nissa's hand as the two women embraced. This was growing exceedingly strange. He really had no idea what to do except to travel on to Imladris and take these two women with him. They could not be left to fend on their own, his honor would not allow it. There was something quite wrong here, though he did not grasp what the significance was.

He needed to bring this to Lord Elrond's attention.


	3. Do You Want To Know A Secret?

**A/N:**Thanks to everyone who has swung by to check it out (though I do wish you'd review, criticism, a word, whatever, it's all appreciated.)

I hope you enjoy! :D

_I narn heria!_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of Tolkien's works. This work of fiction is written solely for pleasure and I get no monetary gain from writing this.

**Warnings:** Some strong language and violence.

* * *

Chapter Three: Do You Want To Know A Secret?

Leaving the women to collect themselves, he set about making a fire before it got too dark. It was a lucky thing they would reach the Last Homely House on the morrow for he was almost out of provisions.

He was glad the woman Erin had started to dismantle her tent and place her things on her cart. He wasn't sure how he would have gotten it across that he wanted to make an early start.

He wasn't sure about much of anything at all pertaining those two. Nissa had been distraught after talking to Erin, and something had deeply troubled the both of them. They were clearly lost in some way, and their language was completely unfamiliar. Erin dressed as a man, though the clothes were at least familiar, but Nissa wore things so completely different from anything he'd known. Yet the two seemed to be countrywomen of a sort.

It was baffling. Though he sensed no ill will from them…and he was sure they were not servants of the enemy. They had come in to his care and now he felt responsible. Thaliâwen would never forgive him if he abandoned them to face the wilds on their own.

He had to seek the counsel of his captain and of the Lord of Rivendell. They perhaps would know something of these women and their strange ways.

The next morning dawned clear and cold. The drizzle from yesterday had left everything with a fine sheen of dew coating it. Erin had given her cot to Nissa and had slept in a cloak on the ground. She felt that the other woman had needed it more than she did, though it left her clothes damp.

She had risen before Teldacil or Nissa, and had taken the time to quietly ready some food. She had bread, fruit, cheese, and some dried meats she had taken for the camping trip. They would spoil soon anyway. A lone bottle of wine, half a case of water bottles, and two bags of chips were all that remained in her cooler. She dumped the water left from melted ice and packed everything away again.

Teldacil seemed grateful for the food, as did Nissa when they awoke. After their quick meal, Teldacil readied his horse while Erin finished dismantling her cot and putting it on the cart. Never had she been so glad that all her things were meant to travel easily and take up very little space. She caught Teldacil's admiring glances at the way everything folded up or collapsed for easy storage. Had to be that way when you lived in as small an apartment as she did.

Then Erin handed out a spare outfit to Nissa, unfortunately, the other woman was quite a bit taller than herself, so the pants she supplied were a few inches short, though the tunic thankfully fit well. She also produced some dry shampoo, smiling as Nissa exclaimed in wonder and happiness. The powder absorbed excess oil and left your hair dry and better smelling. Then the two women packed away the supplies and Erin tossed the bag on the cart.

To Erin's surprise, Teldacil led his horse over and began hitching it up to her cart. She tried to impress upon him that it wasn't necessary, but he insistently persisted in the task until she gave up and instead removed some of her things in order to lighten the load. Nissa followed her example and carried her guitar and her duffle bag of clothes.

Thus the trio set out. Teldacil set a fast pace, knowing they would be able to reach Imladris by supper time if they maintained a good pace and only stopped briefly for water and rest. He was eager to get there and take care of his business with Halbarad and Lord Elrond. Then he could look forward to at least half of a week of rest before he set out again.

While they walked Erin chatted with Nissa. They kept the topics light, avoiding their situation. Nissa was actually quite talkative and spoke of her education, her hopes and dreams.

In turn, Erin shared what she did for a living, being a musician. She told a few stories about silly things that had happened to her at various weddings and parties. She soon had Nissa giggling and Teldacil glancing back at them with raised eyebrows.

The terrain changed then as they entered a sparsely wooded area. Erin was grateful that her cart was both small and not too heavy. She didn't want to have to leave it behind, but Teldacil showed no sign of anxiety over the it.

It was about halfway through the day that Teldacil realized that they were being watched. However, he had a pretty good idea of who it might be. They were far too close to The last Homely House to meet anyone other being but an elf. Though, he did worry about the women's reactions. He glanced back at them, chattering away at each other in their strange tongue and felt the familiar questions and curiosity rise in him.

It took their silent watcher a good few minutes to reveal himself. As quickly and silently as ever he practically appeared under his nose, and Teldacil had to refrain from flinching. An elf with dark hair stood before them, his lips turned up in a grin. Teldacil relaxed and stepped forward to greet him.

"Mithore, my old friend," he greeted easily, "It has been too long." The elf smiled a bit and bent his head in acknowledgement, "Well met Teldacil. I see you have company." His words were both an observation and a question, and Teldacil noted the wariness and slight suspicion as the elf regarded his two female tag-alongs. He sighed and shook his head, "It is a long story, and a mystery to be solved. I seek the council of Halbarad in Imladris. Suffice it to say that I do not think they mean harm."

Mithore's eyes narrowed as he regarded the two silent women, and he replied, "Great harm can be caused with the best of intentions my friend. However, you are in luck, Halbarad arrived just yesterday evening. I see my own curiosity must wait." Teldacil felt real relief at that. He wasn't sure what to say about the women, or if he should say anything until he'd spoken with his superiors.

When the man had appeared seemingly from nowhere, Erin froze in place, Nissa catching on, stopped mid-sentence and stared. Erin's breath caught in her throat and she shakily reached for Nissa's arm and grasped it for support. She could see pointed ears, and they didn't look a thing like the prosthetics she'd seen her ex-boyfriend sport occasionally.

The creature before her was beautiful, in a way that did not detract from his masculine features, and his very presence radiated something that she couldn't even explain to herself. She immediately pushed out the possibility that this was a fraud. You just couldn't apply that to him, he was beyond description.

Her eyes took in his tall stature and graceful limbs, the long hair and elegant clothes. He had a quiver across his back embellished with delicate patterns and he seemed unnaturally clean and polished for something out in the wilderness. Elf! Her mind screamed, even as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Are you seeing, what I'm seeing?" Nissa asked breathily, "Who is he? What is he?" Erin passed a hand over her face and then looked again, seeing narrowed eyes aimed in their direction. It was impossible, and yet, as he turned his head she caught another glimpse of a pointed ear. Everything in her was screaming that this was something else, something different, though her mind gibbered that it was impossible.

"An elf," she breathed, "Bless my boots, that's an elf." Nissa didn't disagree. The being in front of them, there was nothing else it could be, nothing else that made sense, even if elves didn't make sense. But then…that meant…if Nissa was from 2012 and she was from 1995, how far back in time did they go? Or how far forward? She'd already suspected…but this was confirmation enough, wasn't it?

Erin took a deep breath and shook her head. No, it was not confirmation. She had better keep quiet, keep her eyes and ears open, and hope that she was wrong…or at least hope that she was somewhere she and Nissa wouldn't mess up anything.

Although, she thought wryly, just by being wherever they were they had already changed something. Multiple worlds theory maybe? She could only hope.

"Erin." Nissa breathed, tugging on her arm as Teldacil turned to them and gestured at the elf, "Mithore." He said, introducing him. "Nissa, and Erin," he nodded at each in turn. Mithore bowed politely and Nissa giggled. Erin elbowed her in the side and smiled politely, nodding her head, though she couldn't keep the wide eyed look off of her own face.

"Hah. I must be their first." Mithore said, as blank faced as he could manage, Teldacil felt his lip twitch before he gave in and chuckled, "Indeed. Will you be coming with us, my friend?"

"No," the elf replied, "I must be on the look out for others. You aren't the only travelers coming to Imladris." Teldacil raised his eyebrows at that, but Mithore didn't elaborate. Erin's breath hitched, and Nissa shot her a look, but Erin's muttered, "Later," kept Nissa from asking.

"I wish you well." The elf said instead, and with another bow towards the women, he melted back in to the trees.

Then Teldacil waved them forward, lost in thought. Erin didn't continue their conversation, shaken by the encounter. Nissa, picking up on Erin's mood kept quiet as well.

They walked for not much longer before they came to a road and from there their pace picked up quite a bit. The land rose up steadily and the earth around them rose more steeply. They turned a corner and suddenly found themselves face to face with another group of travelers.

Teldacil smiled widely in genuine pleasure as he recognized the man up ahead resting by the side of the road smoking a pipe while his horse grazed behind him and a dwarf got to his feet. Well, Mithore had not been joking when he mentioned other travelers out on the road. He could have told him that his son was on the road not far in front of him though!

"Elegost! By the Valar I haven't seen you going on six months now!" He strode forward and embraced him. Noting his ever-present companion. Elegost merely grinned and endured the slap on his shoulder. "Ah Hadhod, well met, well met!"

The dwarf greeted him gruffly in return, leaning on his axe. Then he turned back to his son, a flush of pride going through him. Elegost tamped out his pipe and then gestured towards the cart and the women "Had an adventure father?" Teldacil grimaced, "Ah yes, of a sort." He cleared his throat and made another round of introductions, giving his son a warning glance when it became clear that they did not speak their language.

They then took a moment while Elegost and Hadhod readied their selves to move on with Teldacil and the two women. Elegost shifted his quiver higher on his shoulder and took quick glances at the two women, curious about their presence. His father was not forthcoming with any story, and his face was worried. He had struck up a conversation with Hadhod about his family and his craft. The dwarf was an old friend of the family, and also picked up on the strangeness of the situation.

Elegost studied the women, noting their strange attire. One was quite comely, and striking in appearance, with masses of curling red hair and shapely figure. The other was tall, nearly as tall as he, and her hair was cropped very short, shorter than most men wore their hair. They walked together, and occasionally exchanged words. The one with the short hair caught him glancing back at her and she smiled slightly.

Mostly the two women were feeling overwhelmed. First an elf, and then a dwarf! Nissa suspected that Elegost was related in some way to Teldacil, the two had the same facial structure, and seemed familiar to each other.

Erin agreed with her assessment, but kept mostly quiet, trying to come to terms with what she'd heard earlier. Imladris…Rivendell. Were they really going to Rivendell? By the gods…she too, shot more looks at the newcomers; the man leading his horse, and the dwarf. She still wasn't sure if she should believe it. She could have misheard the…elf. She almost let loose a hysterical laugh at the thought. She doubted being in Middle Earth with Elves and dwarves right before her eyes?

She trudged on, hefting her backpack higher on her shoulder and wondered how this could have happened. She wondered if Nissa had even heard of Tolkien before? The younger woman had latched on to her, not that Erin could blame her. She took comfort in Nissa's presence as well, and she genuinely liked her. But Erin couldn't help the sense of foreboding she felt weigh on her chest with every step they took.

When they reached a shallow river that Teldacil called the 'Bruinen' and mentioned Imladris again Erin had her confirmation. She had to really pull herself together quickly though as she made sure nothing in her cart got too wet as they crossed the ford.

She took deep breaths as the trail started getting steeper, and trees rose around them again as well. She knew, she knew now where they were. Nissa shot her a concerned look when she stumbled, but Erin smiled shakily at her, "Just a bit tired," she muttered. In truth, her head was spinning.

She walked a bit faster, not wanting to face the other woman. Nissa frowned but kept her pace. Something was bothering Erin, but she didn't feel like she knew the other woman well enough to intrude and ask her what was wrong, and anyway, she was panting as the elevation went up, and most of her concentration was kept on her footing.

They came to a ridge, with a plain spread out at the foot of the hills, and the Mountains growing more ominous and closer with every step. The ground kept rising, but they didn't stop, it was getting to later in the afternoon, it would become dark by the time they reached the Valley. However Teldacil unconsciously quickened the pace again, looking forward to the journey's end.

Erin recognized the scenery, as if it had sprung from the pages of one of her favorite tales. She was so busy staring everywhere, trying to take it all in that she slipped and fell. "Ow!" she exclaimed, accepting a hand from Elegost in rising to her feet, cursing her inattention. Her ankle hurt and she worriedly placed her weight back on the ankle and grimaced. She'd definitely hurt it, thankfully not too badly though. Not a sprain, just a strain.

There was concern on Elegost's face and voice, but she waved him off, and smiled at him. She kept walking, wincing every once in awhile as she came down too hard on her ankle. Teldacil queried Elegost, who replied with what had happened and then felt a surge of guilt. He'd been pressing too hard, they could slow down, and there was no need to rush.

They came to a steep downward slope and below them lay a valley, it wasn't quite dark yet as they started down a winding path, but they could all see the twinkling lights below. The sounds of water flowing and the lights in the distance beckoned them on, and when they reached level ground meadows spread out before them.

They kept on until they reached a narrow bridge over a river that forced them to file in one by one. Erin's cart barely made it, the sides brushing the sides. On the other side more trees loomed, and behind them buildings that glowed softly in the light.

The sounds of voices, laughter, and far off voices raised in song made tears spring to Erin's eyes, and she was glad that they remained unnoticed in the fading light.

A gate with a delicate inlay of two silver trees before them swung open, an elf on the other side nodded in greeting as the group filed in. Erin took in the buildings now surrounding them with awe. The gentle, graceful arches and smooth stone. It was all so wonderful that it made her breath catch in her throat.

Nissa too marveled at their surroundings, which seemed oddly familiar, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Then suddenly more elves sprang up around them, startling her as they gently took her burdens and Erin's as well. They smiled softly, their beautiful faces stunning the women further.

Teldacil's horse and Elegost's horse were led away and Elegost and Hadhod parted the others, with promises to meet back together for a meal. Meanwhile Teldacil turned to the too stunned women and gestured that they should come with him up a flight of stairs.

An elleth approached and told him where he might find Halbarad and he thanked her warmly and told her to take care of Nissa and Erin, explaining that they did not understand their languages, and that they were likely to be nervous and frightened. The elf listened carefully than waved him off with assurances that all would be fine.

Then she gestured at Nissa and Erin, who were standing closer together than they might have under normal circumstances, looking very nervous. "Teldacil?" Nissa asked worriedly as he turned to leave. He turned back and gestured at the elleth and them, showing that they were to follow her.

"We'll be fine." Erin said, tugging on Nissa's arm and smiling at Teldacil. "We're probably going to be shown to a room." Nissa nodded, but still felt an odd sort of loss as Teldacil turned and left. He was the only person from this place that she knew. He'd taken care of her, and without his intervention she knew she probably would not be alive.

They turned and followed the elf, who led them through several halls. They passed a few elves, but no other human. The halls were at one time both inside and outside, with gentle arches that opened freely in to the air and melded seamlessly with little gardens and trees that lay just outside the passages.

Alcoves dotted the halls as well, with tapestries hung showing battles, or gentle scenes of gardens and still others with figures woven beautifully in to the cloth and graceful inscriptions that neither woman could read.

Then they were at a door, which the elleth opened and gestured for them to enter. The room was small, but beautifully appointed with a bed, a small table with two chairs, a fireplace, and a small chest at the foot of the bed. The room was enclosed, and off to the side the elleth led them to another door and opened it to reveal a tub, filled with water and softly steaming.

The room had a set of shelves on which were several bottles as well as soft towels and combs, and even a razor. Nissa squealed in delight and went to dip her hand in the water, it was slightly hotter than she'd prefer, but she could hardly care less.

"Thank you, thank you! A bath! Erin, we can get clean!" The elleth giggled, and the sound of her musical voice caused the other two to join her. Then she gestured them both to follow her again and led them to a door across the hall. The room was practically identical, except the tub in this one was not in another room, but partitioned off from the main one by a screen.

She then left the two women to decide what room they wished to use. Nissa went back to the first room, while Erin stayed. Erin promised to come back to her room when she was finished, leaving hurriedly to take advantage of her bath.

Erin, smiled at her obvious enthusiasm, then locked her door, glad to have that bit of privacy. She then rummaged on the shelves, getting a towel, soap, and a comb down and placing them on one of the chairs which she dragged over beside her tub.

She wasn't as dirty as Nissa, she'd only been camping for a day when she found herself here…but a bath was always a welcome thing.

The water was hot, and it felt heavenly as she slid in. The soap was scented with some flower she didn't recognize, and was gentle against her skin. There had also been oil in a jar as well as some sort of shampoo on the shelves, she ignored the oil, but gratefully soaped up her hair and rinsed it out. Then she lay back for a time in the cooling water.

She was alone for the first time since waking up to find Teldacil and Nissa outside her tent. She felt very overwhelmed, and some of the issues she'd put off thinking about now pressed in on her. She hadn't had time for a breakdown. She felt like she needed to be strong for Nissa's sake, as well as her own.

But gods…why were they here? Why were they from different times? She had no family to speak of, nobody to miss her really, only her day job would miss her. She felt tears start to prick her eyes and blinked to let them fall and mingle with the bath water.

She cried for a few more minutes before washing her face and getting out, and toweling off. Erin had never been the type to wallow in misery, it served no purpose to let yourself be dragged down by sadness. However, that said, crying was healthy, especially in such an outrageous situation!

She stepped around the folding screen and blinked at the sight of her bags on the bed. They hadn't been there when she had gotten in to her bath. Elves are sneaky, she thought, but gratefully crossed the room and withdrew clean clothes. She decided to go with a dress, and quickly donned the last clean one she had.

Then she settled on a rug by the fire and began to comb through her wildly curly hair.

Nissa spent a long time getting clean. She soaped herself up several times and rinsed off, and scrubbed at her skin until she knew she was clean. Then she toweled off and used another towel on her hair, glad that its length meant that she didn't have long to wait until it dried.

She was also surprised to see the bags she'd been carrying for Erin laying on her bed, but dug in to them, hoping for some clean clothes. She found an extra shirt…tunic? But no pants. She sighed and put the ones Erin had given her earlier back on. She then gathered up the other woman's things and went to hesitantly knock on her door.

Erin answered the knock with a smile, and a comb in her hand. "I brought your things…I think they thought since I was carrying them that they were mine." She told her, walking in the room and plumping them down on the bed.

"Thank you." Erin said to her, closing the door, and then going back to the fire place. Turning her back to the flames she shook out her hair so it lay neatly behind her and then continued to comb. "Join me?" She asked, nodding her head to the chair beside her.

Nissa ignored the chair and instead settled on the rug beside her. The warmth from the fire was comforting, and lulling. Nissa soon found herself yawning.

Another knock sounded at the door, and the elf from before entered, a large tray in her hands, another elleth behind her had an elegant pitcher in her hands, as well as two mugs. The two quickly set the food on the table, the appetizing scents of which made both women's stomachs grumble hungrily.

The elves left after a friendly nod in the women's direction and Nissa and Erin both sat down to eat.

There was crusty fresh bread, butter, cheese, salad, dried fruit, and some cold meat. Erin made a sandwich of sorts, putting it all together, while Nissa tried each bit of food separately. It was all of it, very delicious. Simple fare, but very good in quality. The jug held a crisp ale that both women drank only lightly of.

After their meal, Nissa helped Erin unpack her things in to the chest and then they washed the dirty clothes in her tub, moving the partition over to the fire, they hung the wet clothes from it. After, Nissa collapsed on to the bed with a moan.

"I'm so tired…I don't think I've ever been so tired before." She sighed, closing her eyes and relishing the softness of the mattress after days of sleeping on the ground.

Erin sat next to her, drawing one knee up to her chest and leaning her chin on it. She watched the fire, her expression pensive.

"You okay?" Nissa asked, sitting up and placing a hand on Erin's arm. Erin shook her head, "What is there to be okay about? I'm sorry…" she sighed, "I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just…this whole situation, I can't rap my head around it…Do you recognize anything Nissa?" She turned her gaze on the other woman.

"Well, now that you mention it…" Nissa dropped her arm from her hand, and rubbed her eyes, "It does look familiar, but I can't place why." Erin nodded, "I wonder…I heard Teldacil and the others saying a name, one that I recognize…but if I'm right, we've gone back in time possibly further than either of us thought." Then she laughed, a note of hysteria in her voice as she got up suddenly from the bed and began to pace.

Nissa slid to the end and hugged one of the carved bedposts, unnerved a bit at Erin's behavior. "Well, it can be more strange than what we've already seen today," she tried to joke, but it fell flat as Erin continued to pace.

Nissa bit her lip and ran her nails over the wood, "Well?" she asked. Erin shuddered, and took a deep breath, "It's crazy…but you're right…have you ever heard of Lord of the Rings?" Nissa nodded, "Sure. The movies were awesome, though I never read the books. They just came out with the Hobbit, part one too just a few months ago." She replied, furrowing her brow, "I don't really remember much of them though. But it makes sense; this place does look like one of the places in the movie, what was the name? Um…"

"Rivendell?" Erin asked wryly. At least Nissa had heard of the place…she hadn't seen any movies, so they must have happened after 1994. She felt a chill run over her skin, raising goosebumps on her arms. She groped for a chair and sat, trying to calm her mind. She wasn't cut out for time travel dammnit!

Nissa nodded, "Yeah, Rivendell…but, does that mean, like, we're in the movie, er, books?" Erin dropped her head in to her hands, "I don't know…I really don't know." Then she jerked her head up and abruptly got to her feet, crossing the room to grasp Nissa's hand, "We can't say a word! It must be kept a secret, if we have traveled in time so far back, imagine the havoc we could wreak!"

Nissa's eyes had widened and she trembled as she took in Erin's wide eyed intensity, "But, but, it's fantasy, isn't it? It can't be real!"

Erin sat next to her, still holding her hand, "Tolkien…the author…Middle Earth was always supposed to be our past, just so long ago it had faded in to myth. And neither you and I can deny what we've seen so far…"

"So what do we do?" Nissa asked, gripping Erin's hand tighter, "Watch, listen, learn…I guess, until I know more, what can we do?" At that moment their eyes met, and Nissa could see the resolve in them. She also felt a welling of despair, the future was so uncertain…however, she agreed that Erin's plan made sense.

"Alright, we'll say nothing about this place…not that it will be hard for me, I can hardly remember anything to begin with." She smiled weakly as Erin nodded. Then impulsively, Erin leaned forward to embrace her.

"I..I know we might have met under better circumstances," she began, tears sliding down her nose and wetting the other woman's clothes, "but Nissa, I'm glad to have met you." Erin said, holding the other woman tightly. Nissa felt her own tears return at Erin's choked voice, and she returned the embrace with equal fervor, "Me too."


	4. Listen

**A/N:** Ah FINALLY! A review! I was terrified I'd have to delete this if I got no response to the story. (nudgenudgehinthint) Remember, reviews, criticism, smileys, it's all good, just review if you like it please, or even if you don't! Thank you _**Lauren**_, this one was updated quick and with you in mind! ;) I want to thank you guys who do read, alert, and fave though as well ^^

_I narn heria!_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of Tolkien's works. This work of fiction is written solely for pleasure and I get no monetary gain from writing this.

**Warnings:** Some strong language and violence.

* * *

Chapter Four: Listen

Erin woke the next day sore, but well rested. She'd sent Nissa off for an early bedtime when she had noticed the other girl's drooping eyes. She'd slept very well, despite the circumstances. She was ready to face the day, and whatever craziness it would bring.

Getting out from under the covers, she made the bed and then went to check her clothes to see if they'd dried. Seeing that they were completely dry, she folded them and placed them on her bed. She wasn't sure if she should place them back in her bags, or put them in the chest at the foot of the bed.

A knock sounded at her door and she went to open it. Teldacil was on the other side, and he quite suddenly turned red and averted his eyes from her when she opened the door. She was confused for a moment, but then realized her nightdress had slipped from one of her shoulders. Seeing his expression, she tugged it back in to place and held up one finger, "One moment! I'll be out in a jiff." Then shut the door hurriedly, giggling to herself.

Teldacil stood in the hallway and cleared his throat. The heat died down from his face slowly. He hadn't expected the woman to open the door in a state of undress! He was just coming to see if the women were up for lunch. It was nearly midday and both had been allowed to sleep in as they had journeyed far the day before.

He deemed it wise to wait, as that was what Erin seemed to have wanted. He hoped it wouldn't take that long, because he was quite hungry himself, having missed breakfast this morning to speak with Halbarad and then to speak with Lord Elrond.

Erin's door opened again and this time she was dressed properly. Her dress was a pretty blue green and in her arms she held a dark blue dress, for Nissa.

"Good morning Teldacil." She said to him, smiling brightly and knocking on Nissa's door. He nodded at her, and mumbled his own greeting. He averted his eyes though when Nissa opened the door, to avoid a repeat performance.

The women were only a few minutes longer before they exited the room, and he had to admit that both were looking much better for a good rest and clean clothes, Nissa even more so than Erin. The woman had been positively gloomy when he'd first started traveling with her.

He nodded at her and then gestured for them to follow him. He led them through the halls, and in the light of day even more details were illuminated that made the women quiet as they tried to take it all in. Rivendell was a truly beautiful place.

They went up a small flight of steps, and then turned several times, now encountering more elves, before they came before a set of open doors that led in to a great room with great windows that let light stream in from the outside and where tables were laid out and plenty of elves, a few men, and a lone dwarf were sitting down eating. There was food laid out along one table, and Teldacil led them over to it and gestured for them to take a plate and help themselves.

Nissa was glad for the buffet style and helped herself to some oatmeal-looking dish, and some dried fruit, and honey. There was water and more beer as well, though she stuck to the water. Erin settled with some fruit and a piece of bread with thickly spread rich creamy butter.

Then they seated themselves near Teldacil, who had joined Elegost and the dwarf from yesterday. Elegost nodded politely at them and the dwarf jerked his head in greeting. Erin nodded back politely, "Good morning, Elegost, Hadhod." She said, and then began to eat. Nissa smiled at them and began to eat as well.

"Why bother saying anything? It's not like they can understand us." She pointed out to Erin. The other woman shrugged, "It's polite? I guess, I'm just used to it." Nissa blushed, though Erin hadn't been trying to suggest she was rude. She said good morning to the two opposite of them as well.

A presence to her left alerted her to someone sitting next to her. She turned her head to look and came eye to eye with an elf. His hair was dark and his manner friendly as he smiled at her and said something. She had no choice but to sit there dumbly, not knowing what was said.

"Ah Elladan my friend, she does not speak any of our languages." Elegost explained. Elladan looked curious and turned to look at him, "None? Not Westron? Where did they come from?" Elegost slanted a look at his father who had a blank face up. Obviously he was not going to give anything away. Elegost shrugged and replied, "Father found them."

Elladan turned to look at Teldacil who frowned but shook his head. This was not a subject he was ready to discuss before speaking more to Lord Elrond, not even to a son of Elrond. Instead he cleared his throat and gestured at the women in turn,

"This is Nissa, and that is Erin. Ladies, this is Lord Elladan." He said, and as he did a curious expression flit across Erin's face, though she quickly bowed her head to hide it, repeating the name to show she understood. Nissa repeated it with a smile and nodded her head as well. Elladan bowed slightly toward them with one hand upon his chest. He then quirked an eyebrow at Teldacil, having noted the slight look of recognition upon Erin's face, and frowned at the women turned back to their meal. The man shifted in his seat and made an abortive gesture with his hand. They'd talk later.

Nissa did her best to ignore the handsome elf's presence beside her. She knew it was silly, but the more she glanced and saw of the elves, the more striking their perfection was, and she was vastly uncomfortable next to their beauty, which she could never hope to measure up to.

Erin meanwhile tried to retain her cool. She didn't need to be giving herself away so quickly, though she knew they'd noticed something judging from the looks on Elegost's and Teldacil's faces. She tried to remain calm and eat her food, though it now stuck in her mouth as she chewed, despite how delicious it was. She just had not expected how meeting an actual character from the books would go. She wasn't prepared. At least Nissa didn't seem to show any recognition. It seemed that this charade would be harder to keep on with than she'd originally thought.

Elladan had excused himself soon after and left, for which Erin was grateful. She finished eating and then spent the rest of her time watching the others around her while trying not to be rude about it.

She breathed in sharply when she saw Elladan run in to his twin by the doorway, and knew that she had just caught a glimpse of her second book character, Elrohir. He however simply cast a look around the hall and approached another table with more elves seated at it. She exhaled in relief and turned her attention back to her cup of water to take a sip. She caught Elegost eyeing her with curiosity over the rim of her goblet and she knew she hadn't been as slick as she had thought. Two slip-ups in as many minutes!

It wasn't Nissa who needed to be careful; it was her, she thought, miffed at herself. Nissa was stil finishing up eating, and so were the other three. Elegost and Hadhod finished next though, and both got up at the same time to leave. Elegost murmured something in Teldacil's ear as he left, and his father nodded. Then the younger ranger nodded at the women and followed his companion out of the hall.

Teldacil and Erin waited for Nissa to finish her food and then the man led them back out of the hall and down more passages.

"Where do you think we're going?" Nissa asked Erin, who frowned, getting a sinking feeling in her stomach. "I'm not sure…but I have a feeling Teldacil is going to take us to see someone important, maybe someone he thinks knows our language?" Nissa nodded, "Alright, so what's our plan?"

Erin took a deep breath, "Nothing for now. I don't remember any words of Tolkien's languages beyond a few phrases…and I don't necessarily think that it is a good idea to let them know that we know anything. So no names from the movies, or anything that could give us away as knowing more than we should." She said, inwardly wincing at her own earlier thoughtless reactions. These people were not stupid. They would probably pick up that she was trying to hide something.

Nissa agreed, "Yeah…and even if we're here, there is no guarantee when exactly we are right? I mean, the movies could have already passed, or not even started in the plot yet." She frowned; trying to describe their situation without using names from the characters was harder than she had thought. She'd worked hard on remembering what she could of the movies last night and this morning. It helped that'd she'd seen the Hobbit recently.

Erin privately thought that there were too many elves around for the War of the Ring to have ended, but she couldn't be sure.

Eventually Teldacil led them to a door that he paused before and knocked, then pushed open and gestured the two women inside when a voice called out. Nissa entered first, and saw that the room was a sort of library, though a very small one, with only a few shelves with books and rolls of parchment and maps around the walls. There was a couch obviously meant for reading, and a few comfortable looking armchairs, and a table with chairs. Seated in one of the armchairs was a man, who stood at their entrance.

He was very tall, with dark hair that was graying at the temples, and shrewd grey eyes. His clothes were plain, and much like Teldacil's and he moved with surety and command.

He bowed before the women and they nodded back, as Teldacil introduced them.

"Ah Halbarad, these are the two women I have spoken with you about. This is Nissa, and Erin. This is Halbarad." He introduced, and they both dutifully repeated the name back. Erin immediately was on guard, at least he hadn't dragged them to see Elrond, though she had a feeling that he still might.

Teldacil then gestured for them to sit, and Nissa and Erin took the couch while Halbarad settled back in to the chair, though leaning forward and paying strict attention to them. Teldacil stayed standing, and moved to stand a little ways from the couch.

Halbarad then tried to speak with them, though no language he knew of the very many he had some mastery of seemed to elicit a response. Erin, in turn tried what she knew of French, German, and Italian. Nissa, catching on, tried a bit of Spanish and a few words of Japanese and Korean. They had to keep up the pretense of not knowing any other language but their own.

When language failed, Halbarad grew silent, and then tried another tactic. "Where did you come from?" he asked, pointing at Nissa. "You, where?" he added, pointing at the ground. Nissa was genuinely confused and shook her head, shrugging apologetically and Erin grinned ruefully herself.

"Rohan? Gondor?" he asked, then added the names of several other nations. None got any response from the women and he sighed and turned to Teldacil, "I see. Well, you said that one of them carried something strange? Does she have it now?" Teldacil frowned, and then turned to Nissa, wondering how to get this across.

His gestures made little sense to the women, until he paused, looking frustrated. Then he hesitantly made a noise and Nissa started. "That's my cell phone's start up noise." She said, and then glanced at Erin. Knowing it was probably not going to help, but hopefully they wouldn't have a clue what it was either, Erin asked, "Do you have it on you?"

Nissa nodded. "Well, you can't just ignore him now that you've obviously shown you recognize what he's asking for, "Erin sighed. Nissa nodded, then blushed and stood up, turning so her back faced the men. She'd tucked her cell phone in to her bra, not knowing where else to put it.

Reaching to dig around in her cleavage right then probably wouldn't have made the best impression. Erin looked amused, and both men looked slightly flustered when she turned back and held up the cell.

Teldacil took it from her and then passed it to Halbarad, who looked at it closely. "You say it lit up and noise came from it? Why isn't it doing that now?" he asked, and Teldacil shrugged, "I do not even know what it is. Only that it seemed important to her." Meanwhile Halbarad ran his fingers along the strange object. It was still warm from where it had been resting, warmer than metal would have been, and yet smoother and lighter than it looked. He found several depressions in it and some raised bumps, one pressed in when he pushed a little on it and he nearly dropped it when it lit up, something indecipherable flashed across the screen as it lit up and sounds unlike anything he'd heard before came from it.

Meanwhile he noted the one woman, watching him with keen interest, while the owner of the device was inattentive to his fiddling with it. His attention turned back to the part that had lit up, and he blinked when it faded back to the original dark grey it had been. He tentatively pressed the same upraised bump and was rewarded with the screen lighting up.

He marveled it, and became more interested when he noted that as his thumb dragged across it, so did the bar across the bottom. At this the woman Nissa leaned forward and tapped it, and he watched as it changed again, and showed a marvelous painting of a young man and the woman before him. It was incredibly lifelike, and stunning. The man had his arm about the woman's waist and both smiled brightly up at it, the woman Nissa smiled sadly and said, "Mike," while pointing at the young man on the surface of the object. He wondered if this man was her husband.

She gently took the thing from him and pressed the button, and the same image as when it first lit up flashed across the surface and the noise played again. "Cell phone." Nissa said, tapping the object for emphasis, "You can play music on it, surf the web, talk to people, or send them messages. They've really come a long way in a short time." She said, then feeling tears prick her eyes she went to sit down, clutching her phone in her hands. Soon, everything left from home on it would be gone. She'd preserved the battery thus far by turning it off, but smart phones used up a lot of power quickly, unlike her old phone, which could stay charged with normal use for a week without plugging it in.

Halbarad observed this, and though he did not understand her words, he sensed a great sadness in her. In both of them there was this…feeling he was getting. They didn't belong here, and something about the two women made him think they needed help. Though their stories were enough to bear that out. One found hurt, with no shoes, no food, and no companions. The other found bearing strange items and seemingly hiding something.

Yet, they were not evil. They would not have been able to enter Imladris with evil intent. Whether or not they were a threat remained to be seen. Where better a place to observe them then here?

Teldacil was right to bring them here.

"I agree, I don't think we will be getting much out of them right now." He said last, "They seem too out of sorts, and…lost I think. Lord Elrond has agreed to give them a safe haven here for some time until other arrangements can be made." Teldacil nodded, and felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Lord Elrond was a gracious host and never was one to turn out those in need. He knew they would be safe here while he had to leave and attend to other matters.

"I will see about finding someone to tutor them in Westron. At least then we may able to get some answers about their strange appearance in the wilds and the odd items they have. For now, we'll keep them out of the way and try to keep anyone from prying." Halbarad added, rising to his feet, "I'll keep Lord Elrond informed, and get his thoughts on the matter. He may like to meet them, soon." Teldacil nodded, expecting as much. They exchanged a few more words before he bid them all a good day and Teldacil led the women from the private library and back in to the many passages of Rivendell.

Teldacil led them back to their rooms quietly. His brows furrowed in thought. There was much Halbarad had not said, that worried him more than what he had said. "You two. Nissa. Erin. You can go anywhere here. Understand. You." He pointed at them and then made a gesture that swept around them. "Rivendell." Erin nodded first, quicker at understanding. He sighed and left the women to themselves, with a distracted sort of smile. Then he turned and left to find somewhere quiet to smoke and think in peace.

Erin hoped that would be the worst of their interrogations for now. Though she was sure this wouldn't be the end of the matter. She didn't even know what had been decided about them, though she had deduced some sort of action had been made about them.

She sighed and decided not to worry about it for now. Teldacil had given them permission to wander, and she would damn well take advantage of it. She went in to her room briefly to retrieve her harp. Music was her way of thinking.

"You're going to play?" Nissa asked with a smile. Erin nodded, "Yeah, we've pretty much been given free reign to wander, I think. Let's go find someplace quiet and I'll play something relaxing." Nissa nodded eagerly and they left again, heading for a garden they'd both admired ealier.

The gardens here were not quite like anything either of them had seen before. They didn't look like they were manicured, and yet they were so beautiful in the range of plants and trees and where they were located that it must have been so. They found a small pond with lazy bright colored fish swimming around in it. A tree shadowed the area and bushes screen the rest off from sight of most passerby.

There was also a graceful bench tucked away and the women settled there. The day was cool, but the warmth of the sun and very little breeze made for a pleasant atmosphere. Erin took her harp from its case and held it gently in her hands, trying to decide what to play. She started very softly testing the notes, though she knew it was tuned correctly.

When she started playing, the melody was soft and simple, but helped her to relax, as playing inevitably did for her. Nissa listened, not recognizing the tune, but enjoying it nonetheless. She watched the fish in the water instead, and suddenly wished for her sketching materials. The scene was so unreal that it seemed a shame that it would fade away to nothing. She sighed and leaned back on the bench, closing her eyes and just listening to the tune.

Lindir eyed the two mortals below him and thought how strange it was that in his very favorite spot to come and compose new works, a woman would come and play music. He listened to the tune, it was simplistic, like most men's work, but pleasing to the ear and played with a very good hand. Obviously this woman had been trained very well.

He had heard, as had most in Rivendell, of the two women here who did not speak Westron or any other known language. Not much else was known, which was surprising considering how elves liked to gossip. A ranger had brought them here, and it was generally thought that they needed help.

He watched them for a while longer, mostly to hear the different tunes the woman played. She did not accompany her harp with singing, though he knew some of the tunes must have words from the way they were composed. It was fascinating, as an accomplished musician he had heard almost everything, or at least enough to recognize where a composition's origins lay. Yet he recognized nothing that was played.

He resolved to keep his finding s to himself for now, and he slipped silently from the tree and left.

Erin and Nissa remained where they were for a little while longer until an Elleth approached them, the same one who had shown them to their rooms the day before. She smiled politely at them and laid a hand on her chest, "Elathiel," she said. Erin laid her harp aside and copied her, "Erin." Nissa followed suit, and with that done, the elleth motioned toward her mouth and made chewing motions, then gestured for them to follow.

"Oh good, I'm starving!" Nissa said, rubbing her stomach for emphasis, Elathiel giggled and they both waited patiently while Erin put her harp away. Then she led them back to the same hall as before. Teldacil was nowhere in sight though, so they sat with Elathiel who chose an open seat near a group of elves. They all nodded politely, and Elathiel introduced them, though Nissa and Erin quickly forgot which name went with which elf. Then they set to eating.

Other elves and a few men filtered in as the meal went on. Suddenly a short fat little creature with wildly curly white hair came and sat across from Elathiel and greeted the elves then turned to the women and said something.

"They do not speak our languages Bilbo." Elathiel said.

"They don't?" replied the hobbit, "Well, that is interesting. My name is Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire and now of Rivendell! Welcome, I hope you enjoy the food here as much as I do," he said warmly to the women. They smiled politely, though looked a little off. He supposed it was because they had never encountered a hobbit before. Not surprising if they weren't from around here.

This time Nissa did recognize the person before her, and she stared at him for a moment in awe. The Hobbit part one had been an excellent film…though she knew films and books often changed things up. This was the hobbit though? The one who had started it all?

Erin elbowed her in the side and she started. She flushed as she realized she'd been staring, but Bilbo didn't seem to mind. His eyes twinkled with merriment as he continued to eat his food.

The meal was over soon after and then everyone seemed to head in groups of just a few to a great hall and settled down in comfortable chairs, or stood conversing quietly in groups. Eluthiel smiled at them and gestured for them to make themselves comfortable while she drifted over to a group of her friends. The women were left to find seats of their own. The hall was cozy, and not very brightly lit except for a great fire at one side. Erin was admiring everything, and slightly in awe of her surroundings. "This must be the Hall of Fire." Erin whispered to Nissa as they settled in their seats. "The what?" Nissa asked, but Erin wasn't listening as a dark haired elf began to sing.

The song was beautiful, and Erin was quickly drawn in to the subtleties and tune as several others accompanied the singer with various instruments. Her own harp was still in her arms, and she ached to try and replicate what she was hearing, though she doubted it would even be half as good as this.

Nissa too was drawn to the music, her hear swelling with some unnamed emotion. Though neither understood the words, the song conveyed so much more just through its delivery.

When the first singer was done, another stood up and sung another song, and where the first one had been sweet and this one was uplifting and stirring. The women barely noticed that they were the recipients of many glances and not just a few conversations included them. Though most did not delve too deeply in to their mystery. It was accepted that they were from far away, and had become lost and separated from their people on their journey.

Elegost himself was the target of questions, which he had no answers for. It was his father, not him who had found them after all. Teldacil was not to be found though, having other business to attend to.

Elegost was very curious about the women, and with all the questions aimed at him that he could not answer, he had several more forming in his own mind. Where had they come from? His father's short explanation left much unsaid, which was so unlike him that Elegost suspected him of hiding something. Why didn't the women speak Westron, at the very least, or any language anyone knew? What was that strange object he'd seen Lady Nissa playing with on their journey to Rivendell? Why was his father being so secretive? He eventually extricated himself from the group he was politely conversing with and went to stand next to the women, to see if he could observe anything else.

"Hello Elegost." Nissa said, smiling up at him. Erin gave a distracted nod but kept most of her attention on the singers. Elegost smiled back, "Hello Lady Nissa, Lady Erin." He then gestured at Nissa's harp case and at the singers, raising a questioning eyebrow. Nissa chuckled and nodded, making as if she was playing a harp and pointing at Erin while nodding, "Erin is a muscian. Though I can't remember what all she knows how to play." She said.

Elegost smiled too, but then lapsed in to silence. There wasn't much that could be conveyed easily without language after all. Instead he tried to stay as unoticable as possible, and observe them without letting it be known what he was doing. Nissa, seemed more engrossed in watching various people than paying attention to the music, though her eyes strayed far more often to the hobbit than anywhere else. It was the opposite with Erin, she seemed to be avoiding laying eyes on Bilbo altogether. What that said about them, he wasn't sure. He stayed with them for awhile longer, but when Nissa started to nod off, he lightly touched her arm to wake her and gestured that he would walk her out.

"Oh, thanks Elegost." Nissa yawned, then tapped on Erin's arm to get her attention, "I'm off for bed, you coming?" Erin frowned, but sighed, "I probably should. I'm not confident I could fine my way back." She replied, getting to her feet. Elegost had gotten the attention of Eluthiel who walked over and smiled at them, then told him where their rooms were located.

Elegost thanked her and then bid her a good night, before leading Nissa and Erin out of the Hall of Fire. Erin made sure to keep her attention on their surroundings better this time so she would be able to learn her way around more easily. Nissa was too sleepy to try to pay attention and barely mumbled a coherent 'good night' before she vanished in to her room, leaving Elegost and Erin alone.

Erin turned to the man and smiled at him, "Thanks for showing us the way back. Have a nice night, Elegost." He nodded, and wished her a good night as well.

That done, Elegost went to find his father, and gather some answers about the two strange and intriguing women who brought up more questions than they answered.


End file.
